A young Elphaba Thropp
by musicalfan1998
Summary: We all know what happened to Elphaba throughout her early adult life but what was her life like as an adolescent. How was it that she came to love the animals? What was it that made Elphaba the adult she became? The first multi chapter story in a series of 4 following Elphaba through her life.
1. The harsh reality of living green

She stood in the hall as he bellowed at her. Her gaze not leaving his, her body untamed by the roar of her father's harsh words. She had been through this so many times that she now felt nothing.

"You're a curse on this family Fabala!" He screamed, using the name he only used for her when she was in trouble. "Why couldn't you control your petty outbursts, you put that child into hospital!" He practically spat.

For a moment she didn't say anything knowing her father wouldn't understand or want to hear what had really happened. Noticing his daughters silence he pushed her harshly against the wall making her blanch from the sudden impact as he pinned her there by her emerald forearms, his raging gaze meeting her large chocolate eyes.

"Well?" He asked impatiently.

"I was protecting Nessa" she said calmly, trying her best not to wince at her father's increasing pressure on her arms or shrinking under his now furious gaze.

I mustn't let him see me crumble, I mustn't be weak. She scolded herself inwardly.

After a few moments of trying to grasp any kind of reaction from her father and failing she continued. "They were saying nasty things about Nessa papa. You told me that the only reason you sent me to school was to look out for Nessa and that's what I was doing." She cried, hoping her father would see reason.

"You are to go straight to your room tonight, no dinner do you understand!" He said in harsh whisper.

She was going to hesitate, but what was the point, it would only result in her getting into even more trouble and what good would it do anyway.

"Yes papa" she mumbled as her father loosed his grip on her and practically threw her in the direction of her bedroom. She was about to walk away when she heard her father's voice again.

"And Elphaba…"

She turned to face him, raising a thin dark eyebrow at him questionly.

"Don't ever use your sister as an excuse for your sinful actions again!" He said giving her one last spiteful glare before walking away.

She felt tears start to fill the brim of her eyes but she was not going to shed them where she could be seen, so she headed to her small box room under the stairs only stopping to get a damp cloth to take the sting out of her bruised arms.

 _She was sitting on the branch of her favorite tree, overseeing the small playground of Nest Harding's lower school. This had been her favorite place to spend her breaks at school since she had joined the school two year ago, age seven as her father hadn't allowed her to go before Nessa did, and Nessa was the only reason she was allowed to go at all._

 _If her father hadn't needed someone to watch over the precious chair bound girl she would have still been being secretly tutored by Maiden Mary, a Gazelle and the only Animal who worked at her father's mansion. Someone Elphaba was deeply grateful for as she was the only being ever there for her and the reason why Elphaba was able to go straight into her third year when she did eventually get to school._

 _As she sat engrossed in the pages of her book, the green leaves making her almost invisible to passers by something caught her attention. Down below was Nessa who was sat looking into her mirror, a sight that Elphaba was used too, but that was not what she was drawn too. Standing under the shadow of the tree she was on was four kids Nessa's age with a older boy who Elphaba recognised as Torrin, a munchkin who was in her class and someone who Elphaba couldn't stand for more than one reason._

 _"Look at her, she's almost as weird as her sprout of a sister" Torrin said addressing the small cluster of children he had managed to gather, clearly unaware that the creepy sister he was referring to was sitting just above his head, listening to every word and growing angrier by the second._

 _"But Nessa isn't creepy, she's our friend" said one of the smaller children, a girl, clearly confused as to why she and her friends were even talking to the older boy._

 _"Yes, and we are supposed to be meeting her over there now" said one of the boys in the group as he pointed to where Nessa was before starting to walk towards her, the little group trailing behind him._

 _"Fine, but when she turns you all into toads you'll be sorry!" The older boy growled._

 _"Not as sorry as you will be, when I turn you into one." A voice hissed from behind him. In the time he was explaining his theory to the children, Elphaba had managed to sneak down the tree soundlessly and when her voice arose the boy jumped and turned to her, his fat face full of hatred._

 _"Ahh green bean" the boy chirped slyly._

 _"What is your problem Torrin" the green girl asked, fist clenching. "Is making fun of me not enough anymore? You had to get my sister involved into your stupidity as well? What has she ever done to you?"_

 _"Nothing" the boy shrugged "but she is your sister and that makes her the creeps sister does it not?" The fat boy asked, the smirk his mouth curled into making his cheeks even more plump._

 _Rage ran through her veins, this boy had done nothing but make her life misery since she arrived at the school. It was like his aim in life was to turn everyone against her. Now he was doing the same to her sister. Seriously what was the boy's problem?_

 _"No she isn't! And if you try to turn her friends against her again I promise I will hurt you!" She cried, her hands clenching at her side as she tried to suppress the anger building up within her._

 _"Oh yeah, try me!" He screamed and ran in the direction of where Nessa was, an evil gleam in his eyes as he looked back at the green girl whose face was filling with realisation at his intentions._

 _Nessa's wheelchair was placed near a bench at the top of Hardlings Hill and Torril was heading for the handlebars. Elphaba didn't think, instead acting upon instinct, she ran towards the boy, sparks of green anger surrounding her fingertips. Her body felt weightless, her thoughts only on one thing, Saving Nessa._

 _Then it happened._

 _As the boy grabbed the chair startling the young girl who sat within it a panicked scream echoed throughout the playground._

 _"NO!"_

 _Nobody had time to react they all just watched in horror as a flurry of what looked like green dust blasted from the green girls palms and went rocketing towards a very startled Torrin releasing his hands from Nessa's wheelchair before raising him into the air and violently releasing him above the hill._

 _The next moment was a blurr. The boy's screams were frequent as he went plummeting full speed down the hill. She was exhausted, unable to react to what happened instead dropping to her knees panting heavily unaware of all the eyes that were now pinned on her. Suddenly the sound of panicked teacher's filled the air around her and someone grabbed her by the arm and pulled her to her feet._

 _"Elphaba?..."_

"Elphaba! Miss Elphaba, please, please wake up!" A concerned female voice cried, hectically trying to shake the young emerald girl out of her fitful slumber. "Miss Elphaba!"

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry! Please it wasn't my fault!" Elphaba cried grabbing her companions furry forearms, her palms and forehead damp with sweat and her eyes still tightly closed.

Carefully the gazelle shook the girl.

"Miss Elphaba dear, it's me Maiden Mary."

Slowly the shaken girl opened her wrinkled green eyelids and let out a steady breath as she took in her surroundings. She was in her bedroom, the confining four walls instantly calming her. Stood at her bedside was Miss Mary a look of relief evident in her kind eyes. The smell of tomatoes emulated the air in her room and she was suddenly drawn to a small tray on her bedside table.

"Is that… Is that?" she stuttered her face suddenly lighting up.

"Yes dear, that is for you." She smiled handing the young green girl the tray. "I'm sorry it's only soup, it was the best I could do."

For a moment that sat in companionable silence, the only noise coming from soft slurping of soup. Eventually, curiosity finally getting the better of her, Maiden Mary asked the one thing that had been nagging her since she had found out about the latest incident.

"Elphaba? Did he hurt you?" She asked her eyes not leaving the girl and her face tight with anticipated fear.

The young girl froze, her eyes widening in horror.

"No, no he didn't." She said so quietly, it could have been an ant speaking. "Even if he did, it was my own fault." She said as her eyes started to prick with tears again. Maiden Mary seeing that what she feared was true sat next to the young girl and put her paw on her shoulder comfortingly.

"I'm so sorry Elphaba, but you should know not everything your father blames on you is true." She looked to the young girl whose tears were now streaming freely down her emerald cheeks. "You Miss Elphaba are truly wonderful no matter what other may tell you." She said, gently lifting the girl's chin to meet her chocolate orbs of eyes.

"You, you're lying, I'm a living hazard a curse, a devil sent from the curse of the unnamed god." She cried, her sharp chin breaking free of it's soft pawed grip and thrashing itself down in shame.

"No Phaba, you're not." She said sternly making the girl look back up at her. "Look, meet me tomorrow at the courtyard entrance, I have a job that I think you might just be perfect for." The girls eyes suddenly flashed in interest before turning back to cold and serious.

"I can't papa…"

"Your father knows, he has consented." She cut in knowingly a smile gracing her features when she saw that glimmer of excitement come back into the young girl's eyes. "Oh and you might want to bring one of those along." She said pointing to a pile of books sat upon the bedside table.

"A book, but why?" She asked. Maiden Mary said nothing instead she just gave one final smile before exiting the room leaving a stunned and very confused Elphaba to her own thoughts.


	2. The mystery of a Saturday afternoon

**Authors Note-** Thank you to everyone who has read and reviewed my story so far. I'm sorry it took so long to update but I will be updating a lot more regularly from this point onwards my updates will be on Wednesday and Sunday. :) Hope you enjoy the next chapter as always reviews and constructive criticisms are much appreciated.

* * *

The courtyard was warm the following afternoon, and not a cloud was in the sky. As the young girl made her way out to the entrance, her favorite book clutched closely to her chest a soft voice called her name and she turned to see Nessa in her magnificent chair, a flicker of worry evident in her eyes.

"What is it Nessa?" Elphaba asked softly as she walked over to the young cripple and placed a green palm on the younger girl's shoulder.

"Did papa hurt you last night?" She asked plainly. Elphaba's eyes widened in surprise and her clutch on her sister's shoulder tightened slightly. She hadn't expected that, after all father always made sure the Nessa was way out of hearing distance when he was bellowing or hitting her in fear of giving her the wrong impression of him.

"No, of course not Nessa." Elphaba lied, not wanting the younger Thropp to think badly of someone who generally cared for her and she thought highly of. "What in Oz made you think that?" She asked, curious as to what her sister knew.

"It's nothing Fabula, just something I heard one of the Maidens talk about earlier." She shrugged before a bright smile spread across her lips. "Father's taking me to the Emerald Mall, he's going to buy me a new dress after you caused a fiasco and ruined my reputation yesterday."

Elphaba stiffened at her sister's harsh remark. Though she probably didn't understand half of what she had just said and probably had just repeated what her father had told her, it didn't dull the throbb of hurt that echoed through her body like an unexploded bomb.

"I'm sorry Nessa." She said so quietly it was almost a whisper.

"It's not me that you should be saying sorry to, it's papa." She said matter of factly before wheeling of and leaving the green girl standing alone, or so she thought as seconds later a hoof held her shoulder softly.

"Come along Elphaba." Maiden Mary said kindly. If she had heard any of the conversation that had just taken place she didn't show any kind of reaction, instead she just led the small green girl out of the courtyard and through the streets of Munchkinland. "Everyone's so excited about meeting you."

Elphaba's stomach twisted in a knot of anxiety, she didn't know that this job involved people. Outside of home and school she has rarely been in contact with people and every time she did it usually resulted in mockery and stares. After all who would accept someone as freakishly abnormal as her.

"Maiden Mary, do they know? You know about me?" Elphaba asked warily as they turned the final curve of farmland into a small village of cottages. Maiden Mary looked down to the young girl and her already kind eyes softened all the more. She knew what the young girl was implying and though she knew it was a frequent occurrence with a child such as Elphaba, she couldn't help feeling a pang of sorrow for the young girl.

"Of course Elphaba, and they don't care. You are perfect just the way you are." She replied squeezing the young girl's small green palm in a reassuring gesture. "Besides I think you are going to be surprised as to whom you are going to be meeting."

Before Elphaba could question what the Gazelle had said, they had rounded into the biggest of the cottages where a flock of young Animals of all different species came running up to them in wild array. Elphaba instantly relaxed, Animals they were Animals the eldest of them no older than her. A smile brazed her usually forlorn features as the contagious energy from their raving questions gave her a sense of importance and for the first time in a very long time, belonging.

"Miss Mary is this the girl who is going to read to us?" A young sheep by the name of Sarah asked as the overexcited animals finally calmed down.

"Yes, everyone this is Miss Elphaba." The gazelle said looking down at the shocked young girl stood beside her and giving her a friendly smile. "Elphaba will be helping in class today, that is if she is up for it?"

"I… Me... I would love too!" Elphaba cried. She had always been a keen learner and she could think of no better way off spending her Saturday afternoon then reading to the animal children who seemed to love learning as much as her.

As she followed the herd through the door of the cottage she was led into a large room with twelve single desks scattered in rows of four. On top of the desks sat various workbooks and next to them a pot with pens and pencils. At the front of the room a smaller desk stood near a large whiteboard where the teacher would sit and all around the room subject posters and previously done work decorated the walls.

While the animals began to file through to their assigned seats Maiden Mary led Elphaba to the teacher's desk before halting the class to silence and nodding at Elphaba to begin. Taking a deep breath the green girl looked up at her anticipating audience and slowly opened the cover to the book.

"Once upon a time, there was a girl in scarlet coat, known to everyone in her town as Little Red"


End file.
